Contamination OCD is ruining my life

[EllaChloe]

Hi all,
As the subject suggests, this is about contamination OCD, in pregnancy.
I've suffered from OCD most of my life, was on sertraline for a long time and therapy has helped a lot.
I'm 19 weeks pregnant (tomorrow) and contamination OCD has spiked in a new all encompassing manner.
This is gonna sound ridiculous but please hear me out and tell me I'm unreasonable: yesterday while doing the dishes I found a small garden snail in the sink, fallen from the moka I was washing. I know the most reasonable explanation is that the snail crawled in from the open window (sink is right under it) and was already in the sink when I put the moka in it but I'm driving myself crazy that I've somehow ingested traces of whatever a snail leaves behind (putting something in my mouth that the snail had touched but I didn't see it).
I'm already receiving therapy again but how do I go through this fear?

Contamination OCD is incredibly wearing.
As you already know, you have to consider the likelihood of harm arising.
There's a small snail in your sink. There's a small possibility it's come into contact with your food. Only very small.
Does the snail carry diseases? Fairly unlikely.
Does the small amount of contact that the snail might have had with your food pose a threat? Almost certainly not.
Is your baby safe? Yes.
Being in the womb is a really good screen against many bugs. Some things that will make you (temporarily) unwell during pregnancy will leave your baby unaffected.
Keep up with the therapy and I hope you have a calm and healthy pregnancy.

Have you spoken to your midwife? They can help you access help.

Hi @Beamur, thank you for your kind words. Funnily enough, I used to have other subtypes of OCD but contamination OCD wasn't a thing for me until covid hit (obviously), then it subsided and came back in full force with the pregnancy (this is a baby we fought very hard to have and for a very very long time). I am trying to keep in mind that babies keep being born everywhere in the world despite much different levels of hygiene but OCD is a really hard beast to fight 😣

Hi @Wolfiefan, I mentioned having OCD several times to my MW, and I've been referred to IAPT although I'm already in therapy with the same therapist who's been working with me for the past 15 years (literally, not exaggerating the length).
I know sertraline is considered safe in pregnancy but I'd rather wait until baby is here to get back on it.

Maybe you should go back on sertraline sooner if it's too difficult to manage the ocd without it?

Hi @Raineverywhere I don't realty want to take it while pregnant to be honest... I'll probably give Rescue Remedy a go as it helped in the past.

Obviously you have to make the decision you feel is right. I wouldn’t rule out medication though. You need to balance the whether it’s safe with protecting your MH.

@EllaChloe -- The UK charity OCD Action have a Perinatal OCD support group over zoom. I haven't attended, but all of their other support are great. No need to talk or be on camera if you don't want to. Just hearing others and feeling less alone has always been a massive help to me.

https://ocdaction.org.uk/online-support-groups/

Thank you @aletterfromseneca I'll check them out!